Invisible Man
by ccarmody101
Summary: Karamatsu may be alive, but he may as well be dead. At least to his brothers. But will it be too much once he does go? Or will he forever be invisible.
1. Chapter 1

Numb

He doesn't feel the pain anymore as every part of his body shuts down. Bruises blossoming all over his body like the flowers he was fond of. Cuts everywhere along his arms and torso, eyes finally going dull. He huffed and smiled. 'I hope that this will not alarm my brothers' he thought sadly, unconsciously aware that no matter the case or condition he was in, they would not care. But he always reassured himself. How could they not? They were brothers after all! They had to care somewhat. 'Maybe a little concern would be nice..' He thought again, smile wavering as he stood in front of the home that housed all of them. Since they were kids, since they were close. He sighed again, pulling his sleeves down to try and hide some of the damages that he had gotten earlier. He felt a little dizzy as he stepped forward but preceded on.

"I am home my brothers!" He called out, mustering his voice to be steady as he walked to the main room. None looked up.

"Do not fret my dear brothers for I have returned from my trek of this gorgeous and shimmering day! Fear no more for I am now safely residing in our most loving and splendid h-"

"Can you shut up already? I'm trying to read,"

Snapped Choromatsu. He looked more irritated but still didn't look up from his magazine.

"Oh. O-of course my dear brother. I am sorry to disrupt your reading!" He cursed at himself slightly for wavering.

He walked out before he could do anymore and headed to the bathroom upstairs to try and fix whatever he could

"Karamatsu?"

He stopped mid way and looked for who called.

It was his mother

"Mommy! How are you sweetest mother of mine?"

"I am fine but it seem that you've hurt yourself again child..." She said with a sigh.

"Let me help you patch up."

"No need mother! Do not bother yourself with my problems, for I am fine! Nothing I can't take care of!" He smiled at her as best he could trying to not look at her directly. She looked at him with an unimpressed look and huffed.

"Nonsense. Come." She walked towards the bathroom, Karamatsu following behind reluctantly.

After Karamatsu was bandaged by the mother Matsuno, he smiled softly,

"Thank you mother..."

"No need. Now go rest. I'll call all you NEETS down when dinner is done." She smiled at him, her eyes tired but still having fire in them from her youth.

He nodded and went to rest on the couch as he listened to his brother make a ruckus and he sighed. Looking up at the ceiling, he tried to forget what happened earlier that day, well, yesterday, and drifted into a restless sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

When Karamatsu woke up, it was by the hand of one of his brothers, rolling him off the couch onto the floor. Hitting his side in the hard ground, he hissed quietly and looked up to see who had pulled him off.  
"..." It was his brother Ichimatsu. He glared down at him and walked out of the room, heading for the main room of the house.  
'It must be dinner time..' He thought as he struggled to get up. His body was still sore but it was a bit better with rest, but it still hurt like hell. He got up on his feet and headed the same direction as his brother, looking into the room to see all his brothers already eating and bickering amongst themselves. He took his place between Todomatsu and Jyushimatsu, before reaching out to get some food. Throughout the meal no one noticed the bandages on his hands nor his lack of talking. 'They probably like it better with me silent..' He thought to himself as he chewed slowly, his jaw hurting slightly.  
After dinner he help his mother with the dishes for thanks, but she quickly shooed him away, telling him to rest. The brothers pushed and wrestled with each other before Choromatsu yelled at them to sleep.  
"If you want my brothers I would love to sing you a lul-"  
Before he could finish he was punched in the stomach by Ichimatsu.  
"No one wants to hear you sing Kusomatsu." The younger one glared at him before setting himself on his side of the futon. Trying not to wither in pain, he said no more on the subject and laid down as well.  
How could one feel so lonely in a room full of people. Those people being family non the less. He held back tears as he laid there and listened to his brothers sleep, and waiting for dawn so that he could get away from them once more, but for now he slept.


	3. Chapter 3

He was running. He didn't know why but everything was dark around him. Dark void that lead to even more emptiness. He didn't care if he fell, but his heart pumped as fear gripped him. He had to run. Run away. But from what. Just run. Don't look back! Look back at what?! He kept screaming at himself as he heard screams from behind him. When he looked back, he saw himself.  
"No!" The dream him screamed, "no! Please no let me go! Please I'll give you anything! Just please stop!" He stopped running. He was frozen, watching himself get beaten up. His heart rate increased more, his stomach lurching, he tried to yell back but his mouth unable to move. He tried to reach out, but his arms felt like lead, as well as his feet. His other self cried more with each blow.  
'STOP IT!' His own mind screamed, 'LET ME OUT OF HERE!' He was shaking more, and as soon as the dark figure over his other self drew out a knife, he woke up.  
He lurched forward on the futon, which was completely empty of his brother. His breath coming out in short gasps as he tried to calm down. He was covered in sweat, amongst other things. Tears running down his face as he tried to regain control of his heart rate and breathe intake. With a long sigh, he rubbed his eye, which were raw.  
He got up from the futon, putting it away before heading down for breakfast. He was late, a little sad no one woke him up, but sat down anyway eating whatever his brothers felt like leaving behind for him. None of them were in the house from what he could tell, and he finished with out much more thought. 'It's just another day. Do not worry.' He said to himself as he changed into his signature hoodie, grabbing his guitar, and heading up to the roof. 'For now... I'll try to calm myself. Ill try to forget what happened, and maybe tonight I'll be able to get their attention!' He thought hopefully as he began to strum familiar chords. He sighed peacefully as he sang, invisible to those who passed by, and invisible to the world.


	4. Chapter 4

Ichimatsu never really thought about it much, but he knew he was more of an observant type. It was pretty obvious since he slept next to him that Karamatsu was... Well... Off.

He had noticed yesterday the way he came in, the way his eyes looked. Hell if the physical evidence wasn't enough to show that he had been through something then maybe he had to get his eyes checked.

But he told himself that he didn't care. Why would he? This is Shittymatsu he was talking about. No one cared about him. He was the painful one. The bright one. The one who tried too hard to be noticed. To be accepted.

He couldn't bring himself to say anything when Choromatsu snapped. He couldn't do anything when he say his brother covered in injuries. He just walked away when he saw he saw him withering on the floor after he punched him, not hard in his opinion. He always punched him like that. It wasn't unusual, but maybe the injuries were Mrs severe than he expected.

He had woken up when he heard Karamatsu talking in his sleep. Watched as he sweat. He didn't know what to do but go back to sleep and ignore the body that was shaking and whimpering next to him. He never told anyone about it, and they left him alone to wake up the next morning.

He just hoped what ever he was going through, that it would end soon and they could go back to sleeping regularly again, cause if they continue the pattern he set last night, 'Shittymatsu is gonna get a lot worse than what ever he has already.' Ichi thought bitterly as he went out to see his cats.


	5. Chapter 5

The next few days you could say were not exactly the best for Karamatsu. Each day he would try to make himself at least acknowledged by his brothers, only to end in failure by the end of the day. It was always the same. Just the other day he went out to Todomatsu's work place to just say hi to him. He didn't even wear anything that his brothers had yelled at him for being "painful" as they put it. He had walked in only to be then struck in the face by a plastic menu, not even getting a "Hello Brother" before being tossed out.

He had left, sure, but now it was three days in a row that he was either beaten or completely ignore by his brothers. Now in the present day, he was walking down the street, his usual sunglasses perched on his head, hiding the sadness in his eyes as he brooded over the days before. 'Why do they do this to me? I have done nothing wrong, right?' he questioned himself more. 'Its like I'm not even their brother...' he looked up to see two kids running, one chasing the other.  
"Come on nii-san! Hurry up! Man you're always so slow" The one in the front laughed.  
"It's because I'm shorter than you! you know that! Can you at least slow down? Nii-san!" the smaller one yelled back before he ended up falling onto the pavement. Kara flinched at the sight and was walking over before the older one stopped. He gasped and ran over to his younger brother, helping him up.  
"Aw man. Slow AND clumsy?" he tried to joke but to no use as the other cried. "Hey, hey. Don't cry. I'm here don't worry. See? It's just a scratch. Nothing ice-cream can't fix, right?" Karamatsu watch the two, as they calmed down, smiled at each other, and continued on their way. He stood there for a few more moments, watching their retreating figures, then continued on, feeling more empty.

As he continued on, the sky was starting to turn darker, the first stars appearing in the sky. Not realizing the time, looked up and saw how dark it was, deciding to head to Chibita's. He drew his hands into his hood pocket and started to walk in that direction, only to stop a few minutes later when he saw 5 figures crowded on the bench at the Oden stand. He paused, but drew nearer, keeping himself quiet. They were all laughing and drinking, much to the annoyance of Chibita who looked irritated, like always.  
"Oi you idjits... where's the other one? There are 6 of you right..?" he said with slight irritation in his voice. They all looked at him with a blank stare until they all collectively sighed.  
"You mean painfulmatsu? Don't know, don't care." said Osomatsu, taking a swing of beer before going back to pocking fun at Choromatsu.  
"Nii-san not here!" exclaimed Jyushimatsu with a piece of oden stuck on a stick, waving it in the air.  
"Do you idiots at least know where he is?" Chibta went on with a more worried tone. But they ignored him, chatting away and merrily drinking together. Chibita folded his arms and shook his head, sighing before looking back up. He blinked. "huh...?" he said to himself as he saw a retreating figure. He could have sworn... No matter. He paid no more mind, as he went on to yell at the other five as one of their shoes magically wound up in his amazing oden...again.

Kara ran home after that. He didn't stop till he was almost at the bridge. He doubled over as he almost vomited for over working his body. He let the burning sensation in his throat settle before looking up. Panting, he could feel tears threating to spill over as his heart was hurting more then ever in his life. Why do they not care? Do they really want him to disappear? What if he did disappear..? He looked next to him to where the bridge started. He... he could...

"No." He said out loud to no one. He held his head in his hands, shaking it while holding it. 'No. Don't think about that. Don't ever think about that. They DO love me... right?' Something dark inside him made him ask that question again, more sadly. 'Do they really..?' They didn't show it if they did. Ever since high school, ever since he tried to be more like Oso, more like someone that his little brothers could look up to. But now, all he accomplished was them not even looking at him at all. Swallowing nothing in his now dry throat, he shakenly stood up straight, and tried to get as far away from the bridge as he possibly could. His thoughts not helping his situation. When he finally reached home, greeted by silence due to his parents being asleep. 'What time was it even..?' he thought, not really caring, only to look at the clock and see it reading 1:24 am. Was it really that late already? His whole body feeling heavier than usual, he went to where they sleep, setting out the futon, and getting ready for bed. He didn't want to sleep, not like he could anyway. Maybe he should sleep on the couch in the rec room... Since he didn't want to disturb his brothers more than he already has the past few days with his nightmares. He thought against it as he laid down in his spot, and tried to get comfortable, dreading of what is to come once he shuts his eyes. Barely able to move anymore, his eyes involuntarily closed, his vision surrounded by darkness, as he reluctantly drifted off to sleep.

"YOU BETTER PAY YOUR DAME TAB YOU IDJITS!" yelled Chibita as all the brothers ran off before the short man could stop them. They all laughed and pushed each other around in a drunken mess. Well, everyone but Ichimatsu. He kept behind the group, finding it difficult to keep up with him walking slower than usual. Why is it like this? Usually he kept up with the group fine! What was so diff-  
'Shittymatsu usually carries me home when we all get drunk.' He thought suddenly to himself. Cursing at himself, he blocked out the thought of the second brother as he continued forward, moving a bit faster this time. No one else paid no mind to the missing person in their group as they went back home. Jyushi, in his own world, stopped when he saw something on the ground. Excited, he went over and picked it up, only to identify it as Kara's sunglasses. With a confused yet still smiling face, he looked forward to see only the bridge. His eyes looked back down at the glasses, but he shrugged and put the glasses in his pocket. He of course thought nothing of it, and continued forth with the rest of the brothers  
When they finally got home, it was almost 2 am. all of them blindly saw that the futon was set, paying no mind to the shaking, sleeping figure already on it, and scrambled into their respective spots. Ichimatsu vaguely remembered looking to see the second oldest's face dripping in sweat, shaking and whimpering incoherent words. His eyes glossy from drinking too much, he put his hand on Kara's cheek, feeling ice cold skin. As if shocked, he sobered up. Realising what he did, cursed under his breathe and slid father away from the other, and went to sleep, paying no more mind to the one beside him.


	6. Chapter 6

One thought was always intruding into Kara's mind as he woke up the next morning, helping his brothers through their hangovers. It was just one thought, but it wouldn't go away, making it hard to focus as he plaid maid, fetching his brother what they needed. 'what if there was a way to see how they would react if I was really gone.' It kept festering in his mind till by the end of the day he was completely obsessed with the idea. He wanted to know so badly. But how would he do it? He obviously couldn't kill himself, that would defeat the whole purpose. He didn't have money to install fancy cameras in their home, so that was out of the question. He tried to come up with more ideas, but seeing none, he sighed. Making sure his brothers were well situated, he went onto the roof with his guitar to practice to an empty audience. He tried out a few chords, but he just couldn't feel the songs, he was stuck in a rut. Not feeling like playing, he set his guitar next to him and brought his knees to his chest as he stared up at the sky hopelessly.

A few minutes later, he heard footsteps climbing up the latter. Turning around he saw that it was his brother, Jyushimatsu.  
"Ah! Hello my sweet Jyushimatsu! What brings you up here on this splendid day bruzar?" Kara said, feeling a bit better seeing his younger sibling joining him.  
"Nii-san! I found your glasses yesterday! Here here!" Jyushi said as he extended his hand, which held his beloved sunglasses. Smiling a bit, he looked up and took them.  
"Why thank you my little Jyushimatsu! You are very kind! How can I ever show my gratitude towards you?" Kara said looking up at him. Jyushi simply shook his head and looked next to Kara to see the abandoned guitar.  
"Nii-san no play?" He said with a more questioning tone, still smiling.  
"Ah, yes. I am not feeling as inspirational today my dear brother." Kara said looking at the guitar. "But no worries, tis is only for a short time!" he said smiling back up at Jyushi.

The younger one nodded and retreated back to the ladder, shooting down it, causing  
Kara to hear a huge crash at the bottom. Sighing again, he laid back to watch the afternoon sky. The thoughts from earlier still lingering in his head. 'What if I was invisible…there must be a potion of some…' He shot up, almost losing his balance as it suddenly came to him. That's it! A potion! He could get one from Dekapan! He is sure to have something that could help him out! He got up quickly, getting out of the house before any of his brothers noticed, as if they would anyway. He ran out of the house, ignoring the aches of his body as he sped down towards where the doctor lived. Though he was sure that they didn't notice him leaving, he was wrong. One did see him leave. That one questioning where he was going, what had gotten into him, and when he would be back. That one trying to repress those thoughts. That one was,  
Ichimatsu.  
He watched as his brother dashed out of the house, and giving an annoyed yet confused look, he decided to think nothing of it, but he unconsciously started to feel like something was going to happen. Playing with one of his new cat friends, everyone continued their silent activities in the living room.

-  
As Kara made his way to Dekapan's office, he started to think of things he would do to see if his brothers noticed his absence. Like leave his glasses out in plain sight, or his mirror, play a tune to give them the sensation he was there but when they looked he wasn't. It was the first time in a while that he felt giddy, but deep down he knew this was wrong. Very wrong. How could he be doing this to his brothers? 'Because even with me being actually invisible, they still wouldn't care.' A voice inside him said. Shaking his head, he ignored the thought, walking faster.  
When he reached the office, he stepped inside and headed towards the lab, where Dekapan was always found.

"Hello?" Kara called out as he entered, looking around warily.  
"Hello, yes who is it desu?" came a voice from behind a tall medicine and potion shelve unit.  
"Ah Dekapan! I am afraid that I am in need of your assistance on a matter that I do not wish to discuss." Kara replied looking around the shelves to see Dekapan trying to place some bottles on the top shelf carefully.  
"Is that so desu. And what is it that I can do for you desu?" He said a bit strained as he tried to reach to the top shelf.  
"Here, let me help you first my good man," Kara said, taking the bottle and placing it where the other was trying to reach.  
"Oh, thank you desu! Now what is it that you need desu?" Dekapan smiled as he looked up at him.  
"I was actually wondering if you had an elixir that could making me invisible to the world for a period of time, and if you could be so kind enough for me to use it. That is if you do have something of the sort." He said trying to hold a cool face.

The other looked at him unimpressed for aa few seconds before thinking to himself.  
"Hm. Do you mean an invisibility pill desu? I think I may have something of the sort desu." He said before heading over to a locked cabinet door on the opposite wall from where they were standing. "But I must warn you desu. This is strong stuff. Too many pills will lead you to be invisible forever desu. Understand desu?" Dekapan said with a very serious tone.  
"Of course my dear Dekapan, I do not wish to be invisible for that long!"  
'As if you're not invisible all the time anyway….' Said the voice again. Shaking his head slightly, he asked, "How many should I take if I wanted to be invisible for, I don't know, maybe a week?" Dekapan thought for a moment, before looking down at the bottle and reading it.  
"About two desu." He said. "But never take more than six in a two-hour period, ok desu?" he said in a stern tone again.

Kara nodded before taking the bottle and, after thanking him, going out, ready to try it.  
"Now I'll know if they do care…" 'I bet they won't~" said the voice mockingly. "Leave me alone…" he said quietly to himself closing his eyes. When no reply came, he let out a deep exhale, and continued on. As he looked for an alley to try out the pills, he wondered what he would do once he took them. He would be sleeping on the couch for sure, sneak food when no one was home, as well with the bathroom. He didn't even want to think on how he was going to take baths. Maybe he could go when its closed. But that did not matter now. His main goal was to get his brothers to notice him, by not being there.  
Taking a deep breath as he leaned against an alley wall, he opened the container, taking two white pills out, and downing them. They tasted bitter, and were hard to swallow without water, but he still ate them anyway. After a few moments he felt nothing. Thinking that it didn't work, he closed his eyes, letting out his breath that he was holding. Opening his eyes again, he looked down.

He couldn't see his hand, only a floating bottle.

And he screamed.


	7. Chapter 7

He couldn't believe it. He was actually invisible! He felt more excitement, but became confused when he saw that his clothes were gone as well. He looked down and read the label on the bottle.  
"Any clothes or objects touching a person's body within 2 minutes of taking the pill, will also turn invisible. Note: this bottle is resistant to the effects to this pill."  
He thought it was clever, but enough, he thought. He had to get back home.  
He knew that his brothers wouldn't notice right away of his absence, but giving them a week time limit should be enough for him to see if they actually care for him.  
As he ran home, he noticed how some people looked around to nothing, probably feeling his presence as he ran home, feeling excitement, but also fear, not knowing what was to come of his experiment.  
_

Ichi looked at the clock unconsciously for the longest time when hours passed since Karamatsu's departure. He refused to bring up the point to the others who didn't seem to notice a missing person. He hated the feeling of worry, especially over someone like Shittymatsu. It was well past 11 pm now and he sighed and went back to playing with the cat he had in his lap. If the others didn't he wouldn't either he finally thought.  
When it was 1:30 however, the sextuplets all decided to go to bed, and with little scuffles and arguments here and there, they all settled in. Not for Todomatsu though. He was also feeling that something was off and went out to reach next to him only to find empty space. Frowning at this, he couldn't help but feel his chest contract as loneliness crept in. He shook it off, deciding to turn over and try to get warmth from Oso instead, only to end up getting slightly punched in the face. Grumbling to himself, he looked over at Ichi. Ichimatsu, laying on his back, was awake.  
"Hey Nii-san…" said Totty.  
"mm." Ichimatsu replied, not looking at the youngest as he continued to stare up at the ceiling.  
"Could you… move closer…? Karamatsu nii-san isn't here and its lonely..." he stated not looking at him. Ichi sighed and moved into Kara's spot on the bed. Todo said his thanks and closed his eyes as he fell asleep. But Ichi still was awake, and he started to think about what Totty had said. 'Karamatsu nii-san isn't here and its lonely', how could it be lonely? No one liked Shittymatsu, why in all hell would Todomatsu be lonely without him home, safe and sound, not out in the cold night with no shelter and fo-.  
He had to stop. He was worrying over nothing. Because that is what Karamatsu is to him.  
Nothing.  
_

Karamatsu opened the door to their house quietly as to not be heard by the others around 2 am, trying to find a place to hide the pills all night and waiting out in the cold for his brothers to go to sleep.  
'Finally, they're gone, what the hell do we always stay up this late?' He thought bitterly as he shivered.  
He tip-toed around the house before looking into the bedroom to see all of them sleeping, but noticed his brother, Ichimatsu, in his spot.  
'Oh. So they do know that I'm gone, they just don't care….' He thought sadly before stepping away. He shook his head to get rid of the thoughts.  
'Totty was just probably scared.' He thought hopefully, before making his way to the living room and laying on the couch, finally letting his eyes rest, and fell asleep.

Kara was running down an alley way, heart racing fast as he pushed his lungs to work harder and begging his legs to run faster as he heard voices behind him.  
They were gaining on him, laughing and yelling at him. He cried more as he tried to not look back at his chaser. He didn't want to die. He had to keep going. Keep running, keep pushing, don't let it get you. He tried to scream for help but his lungs, already exhausted from running, gave no air for him to say any words.  
Worst of all, it drew him into a coughing fit that made him fall over. His throat burning, he tried to get up, but the figure was at him like a wolf, claw like hands gripping him and tearing his shirt into pieces as it started whispering to him,  
"You should have jumped. You don't need to live anymore. You are mine. You can't escape me. No one cares for you."  
It kept breathing down his throat as it started to claw at his skin. Kara could scream, couldn't move. His vision blurring, he looked up to see five figures standing in front of him and the monsters. He tried to focus more, and only to see his face staring back. Scratch that, five of his faces. But it wasn't his faces. It was his brothers. He tried to call out for them, tried to get free from the thing on him. He cried more when he saw their faces start to contort into devilish smiles. They jeered at him as he struggled, started to call him names, sneered at him. As they started to walk away, The thing on him pulled out a knife.  
Gasping for breath as he lurched off the couch, Kara whimpered to himself, only to find himself still on the couch. And still invisible. But if he was invisible, why were there so many tears dripping clearly down his face?


	8. Chapter 8

Morning came and went as the 5 brothers left sat around their living space, each doing their respective activities. Well, that is except a certain yellow matsu. He couldn't quite place it, but something was definitely off with how the day was going so far. He looked around the room, still grinning as he say each brother lazing about around him. With his smile turning into one of a serious expression, he thought harder as to what was missing. But only to be interrupted by Choro and Oso starting to bicker over what Oso said. Jyushi didn't quite hear but it didn't seem important.

"What do you mean you don't care? He could be out some where right now for all we know. He didn't even come home last night and he wasn't here for breakfast," said Choro with a irritated look on his face as he slammed the magazine he was reading down. Oso countered his expression with a bored one of his own, rubbing under his nose.

"So? He was probably kidnapped by Chibita again for ransom. He'll be back soon. Besides its nice and quiet for once around here with out his painful monologues forced on us. Just enjoy it for once Chorofappyski."

" WHO IS CHOROFAPPYSKI?" He yelled back at him as the other snickered. At that moment it hit Jyushi like a ton of bricks.

 _Karamatsu-niisan isn't home..._

And as he thought this, he though he could have heard the faintest of someone walking. But when he looked around, everyone was still there.

* * *

He walked out of the room, shaking slightly as he hugged himself. _" What should have I expected... It really is like when Chibita kidnapped me."_ He sighed as he quietly slipped into the bedroom they all shared and laid down on the couch, no longer willing to hear what they had to say. Why was it like this? Why was he such a burden to those he loved dearly? He only ever spoke the truth, but it seemed that it was, as they put it, _painful_.

 _"Heh, did you really think they would care? YOU DUMB ASS of course they wouldn't!"_ Kara gripped his head, shaking the voice away.

"N-no. They do care. I just need more time! T-they do care. They do! I-I'm sure of it..." He said to himself quietly, unaware of the tears falling more and more steadily as the voices started to talk louder. With a shaky breath, he concentrated on just laying down and sleeping.

As he closed his eyes, he took deep breaths to calm himself down, unaware of the figure climbing up the stair to the same room he was residing in. He nearly jumped off the couch when he heard the door open. Making sure to not make any noise, he looked around, only to see Osomatsu himself standing there, looking into the room blankly.

" _Did he hear me?"_ was the only thought that went through Kara's head as he stared back at his brother.

Oso took a deep breath and sighed, walking into the room. Quickly and quietly, Kara got off the couch and tip toed to the corner of the room to see what the other was about to do. The eldest turned and went to sit on the couch, laying down on his back on it, staring at the ceiling. Confused, Kara wondered what was wrong with his brother. He had never seen him with such a stressed face before, usually it was relaxed or borderline devil like, but now he was almost close to a face Choro pulls every time he has an interview (a real one) to go to. It was not a good look on the usual laid-back brother. Sweating slightly due to tension, Kara slowly sat himself down on the ground, watching his brother for any reaction. After a few minutes, the eldest turned on his side facing away from Karamatsu. But what he said made Kara's mind reel.

" _Come home already.."_

* * *

Choromatsu wasn't the type to really pay attention to his brothers. Especially the older ones. He always thought he should have been the oldest, seeing (in his point of view) that he was the most responsible one out of the six of them. Because of that high headedness, he never really gave much thought to the eldest of them, but mostly Karamatsu. Sure he loved him, they're brothers so its really no question. But... he is the type though to get worried. He only started to notice Karamatsu's absence when he realized that it really was too quiet. He had gotten so use to hearing the second oldest's singing that it became white noise to him. Maybe that's why he got so anxious when he didn't hear that music anymore. As he thought about it more and more, he realized that Kara was not only gone for the day, but he never came back home the pervious night. Though still shaken up with his bicker with Osomatsu, he could help but still worry. Though he didn't show it, he was now more concerned on why the others not only didn't notice much, but now that they did, they didn't care. Why don't they...

Choro stared down at his magazine in disbelief.

 _We never cared for him ever. Why?_


	9. Chapter 9

Something has been going on and Osomatsu wasn't having it. As he was sitting alone on the floor of their bedroom, arms crossed and head tilted, he thought hard about the way some of his brothers were acting. What was happening? Why was Jyushimatsu just looking at nothing more often? Oso's face scrunched in annoyance. Choro was also acting more antsy, getting anxious whenever the phone rang for mom or when the door opened. With a sound of frustration, Osomatsu shook his hair with his hands, and laid on the ground, staring at the ceiling. Was someone going to attack them and only they know? If so that's bullsh*t, cause it's a fact that they could take on anything that gets thrown their way! Hell, they got rid of that a** hole god that was trying to take Tokoto from them!

So, if that wasn't it, what in the world could it be? After a very long pause with his mind drifting, he sighed, got up, and headed out of the house to the horse races to get his mind off it, not noticing the shift that happened on the couch, where Karamatsu sat, hunched over looking at his nonexistent hands.

It's been weeks since he started this experiment, and he doesn't know what conclusion to draw from the whole thing. Guilt was creeping into him every time he saw how his younger brothers were worrying, the sick voice inside of him belittling him for it. But how was he supposed to stop now, and come back with no real change with the majority of the family not even noticing yet that they no longer had one of them there? Was he not needed? Was he…

'Stop it,' he told himself. 'You're gonna make it worse.' He sighed, not wanting the night to come as the clocked ticked like a funeral march. His nightmares were getting worse. Why are they always occurring? They seem to get longer and longer with each passing day, making him relive the hell he did not want to return to. But, it was to happen, and so when all the boys laid out the futon, and all had become quiet in the world, the thunder that was his head continued to rumble in a red sea of terror in the 2nd brothers closed eyes.

Their eyes down casted upon him. This time, he was caught. Backed into a blurry ally way, no way of escape, air rushing in, and getting stuck in his throat as he tried to beg for them to go away. He had no concept of time anymore. Everything was a blur of pain and red. So much red. He couldn't breathe, his body going numb as they touched his body with fake lovingness. Their teeth turning into fangs that ripped him open, exposing his insides. Suffocating him with the grins they carried and the claws they showed, leaving nothing of him behind. He was no longer there. Who was he? He could not remember as the red pain lingered in his body, tears of blood on the ground as they left him, satisfied with their work. They walked out of his vision into the red entrance that blurred the walls of his eyes till all was black.

And Karamatsu awoke, on the couch, and cried.


	10. Chapter 10

While Osomatsu wanted to believe that there wasn't anything in particular that was wrong, he knew that he was lying. He knew what was making Jyushimatsu and Choromatsu anxious. He didn't want to admit it before, but when you're an older brother you can sense these things. Well, at least when you can see that there's a problem right in front of your face. Before he had been asking why, sight the few weeks that had passed, he had always known why. Hell, he was even worrying himself. Where the f*** was Karamastu? Where was the painful brother? How did this happen, why wasn't he doing anything to figure it out? The reason? Cause he wasn't sure. The last time something like this happened it was because Kara was kidnapped for ransom, which frankly they didn't have to pay. A twinge of guilt did strike him though on the memory but he ignored it, trying to focus on the fact that he lost a little brother and has no flipping clue on where he is.

While Oso was asking himself questions, in the corner, a certain cat boy was, well… getting more and more angry. So to speak. Where was he? Why is this bother him, and why is he even caring? His own voice in his head was jeering at him, mocking him with the questions as the were asked like a broken record. Though he did show it, and didn't want to show it, his nerves were getting the best of him. Each night, he got less and less sleep. He never realized how much he needed a warm presence next to him till earlier this week, and since the realization, the more he's been awake to think about it. This wasn't doing him any favors on loom wise, having dark bags under his eyes and a aura of a weighing tiredness that no amount of sleep could fix. But even so, he could help he feeling that even with an absence of his most hated brother, he wasn't, "gone"? He was probably getting paranoid. He still couldn't shake the feeling though when he heard body-less noises that were mere whispers in e small house. He would never say it but,

He wished he'd come back. The futon was getting cold.

Choro has also not been sleeping well. He began staying up some nights to look through news paper sites and news reports to see anything he could find. No dead bodies, no findings of the "missing person" ad he put up early in the first week of Karamatsu's absence, and it was eating at him. Where was he? Don't, God please, don't be dead.

The jeers in his head. The pain he still feels from ghostly wounds. What did he look like again? I want to sleep. What's sleep? 'Something you don't deserve ~ you filth' "STOP.' Kara held his head. He was losing his mind. Every day remembering more and more of his nightmare, forgetting what was around him. He's losing himself. Where were the pills? Where was he? 'Why am I here again?'

He couldn't answer any of the questions, and soon

the pills will run out,

Soon.


End file.
